Friday, October 24, 2014

A Quick History - Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi Logo
Mitsubishi Logo
Mitsubishi is the 6th largest car manufacturer in Japan and the 16th in the world. It is part of the Mitsubishi group, the largest industrial group in Japan.
1917 Mitsubishi Model A
1917 Mitsubishi Model A
The cars' origins date back to 1917, with the debut of the Model A. It was a hand built sedan considered expensive when compared to the mass produced competition. It was discontinued in 1921 when only twenty two had been built.

Several companies merged with Mitsubishi in the following years to make it the company it is today. In 1937, they developed a sedan for military use and aircraft throughout the war. Afterward, they returned to vehicles with buses, cargo vehicles, and a scooter.
1937 Mitsubishi PX33
1937 Mitsubishi PX33
Finally in the 1960s, Japan was ready for family driving, with the economy rising and wages increasing. Mitsubishi saw this and introduced the Mitsubishi 500 sedan, with several new designs in the next few years.
Mitsubishi 500
Mitsubishi 500
In 1971, the company forged alliance with Chrysler to sell in the United States under the Dodge name. Sales increased throughout Europe and annual production continued to increase throughout the next few years. By 1980, million cars were produced and in 1989, 1.5 million. But Chrysler was running into problems. Tensions had arose between the two companies as Chrysler felt Mitsubishi was in Chrysler's market.
1982 Mitsubishi Colt
1982 Mitsubishi Colt
In 1982, Mitsubishi sold under their name for the first time within the United States. Just over ten years later, Chrysler got rid of its shares in Mitsubishi and they currently only share by contract. In recent years, Mitsubishi has also had alliances with Volvo, Hyundai, Citroen, and others.
 
Click to see our 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse!
Click to see our 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse!
Sources: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi; Car Domain, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2488388/1982-mitsubishi-colt/; The Cars One, http://thecarsone.blogspot.com/2013/04/mitsubishi-logo.html; Japanese Nostalgic Car, http://japanesenostalgiccar.com/2009/10/26/one-more-from-tokyo-1917-mitsubishi-model-a/

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